2003 invasion of Baghdad
Part of the Post-invasion Iraq
U.S. troops topple a giant statue of Saddam in Baghdad, following the capture of the city in April
Date April 03, 2003 – April 12, 2003 Location Baghdad, Iraq Result U.S. tactical victory
Combatants
Iraq	Coalition Forces: U.S
Casualties
2320 killed	34 killed; several hundred wounded

The 2003 invasion of Baghdad was a military invasion that took place in early April 2003, as part of the 2003 invasion of Iraq. 2003 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December - → A timeline of events in the news for April 2003. ... Combatants Coalition Forces: United States United Kingdom South Korea Australia Poland Romania others. ...

The Invasion was led by United States Army and Marine forces, supported by M1 Abrams tanks, Bradley Fighting Vehicles and M113 tracked armored fighting vehicles.^[1] The invasion of the city commenced three days after Allied forces had secured the Baghdad airport. The United States Army is the largest branch of the United States armed forces and has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ... The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the U.S. military responsible for providing power projection from the sea,[1] utilizing the mobility of the U.S. Navy to rapidly deliver combined-arms task forces to global crises. ... The M1 Abrams main battle tank is the principal combat tank of the United States Army and the United States Marine Corps, with three main versions being deployed starting in 1980: the M1, M1A1, and M1A2. ... The M2 Bradley IFV (Infantry Fighting Vehicle) and M3 Bradley CFV (Cavalry Fighting Vehicle) are American infantry fighting vehicles manufactured by BAE Systems Land and Armaments, (formerly United Defense, originally FMC). ... The M113 is an armored personnel carrier family of vehicles in use with the US military and many other nations. ... The Multinational force in Iraq, also known as the Coalition, are the nations whose governments have military personnel in Iraq as part of the American-led war effort. ... Inside view of the terminal, showing an abandoned FIDS in front of empty check-in desks and passport control. ...

US officials said that their forces fought skirmishes there with Iraq's Special Republican Guard, with two task forces going up to the Tigris river from the southern outskirts of the city before moving west towards the airport. Major General Victor Renuart said the intention was to indicate to the Iraqi leader that coalition forces could move in and out of Baghdad whenever they wished. [1] The Guardian reported that US forces occupied two "presidential palaces". [2] The Army also surrounded the Information Ministry and other key government installations for a while. [3] Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... The Special Republican Guard was formed from the Iraqi Republican Guard founded in either 1992 or 1995 in the nation of Iraq. ... The Tigris River (Arabic: دجلة Dijla, Hebrew: חדקל ḥiddeqel, Kurdish: Dîjle, Pahlavi: Tigr, Old Persian: Tigrā-, Syriac: ܕܩܠܬ Deqlath, Turkish: Dicle, Akkadian: Idiqlat) is the eastern member of the pair of great rivers that define Mesopotamia, along with the Euphrates, which flows from the mountains of Anatolia through Iraq (the name Mesopotamia... Insignia of a United States Air Force Major General German Generalmajor Insignia Major General is a military rank used in many countries. ... Victor E. Renuart, Jr. ...

On April 4, American troops seized the city's airport on the southwestern edge of the city. The day after, the US sent limited tank raids into the heart of Baghdad. Here American soldiers battled Iraqi forces in heavy street fights. On April 7, US troops took control of a major presidential palace along the Tigris river. American commanders on the ground said that they would remain in the city center rather than retreat to the outskirts as they had done previously. April 4 is the 94th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (95th in leap years). ... April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ...

Iraq, which had no free press, initially issued a statement contradicting Western reporters' accounts of the invasion. Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf, head of the Information Ministry, told a press conference on April 7 that there were no US troops in Baghdad, saying: "Their infidels are committing suicide by the hundreds on the gates of Baghdad. Be assured, Baghdad is safe, protected. Iraqis are heroes." In the modern age, the free press has taken on multiple meanings. ... Iraqi Information Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf (also Mohammed Said al-Sahhaf) (born 1940) is an Iraqi diplomat and politician. ... April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ...

[4] Western news media reported the denial as straight news, while continuing to report Allied military activity within Baghdad, such as the capture of two of Saddam's presidential palaces. The denials tapered off after US military forces surrounded the Information Ministry. For more information on the evacuation and disbandment of the Iraqi Government see Saddam Hussein. Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti (Arabic: [1]; April 28, 1937[2] – December 30, 2006[3]), was the President of Iraq from July 16, 1979, until April 9, 2003. ... Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti (Arabic: [1]; April 28, 1937[2] – December 30, 2006[3]), was the President of Iraq from July 16, 1979, until April 9, 2003. ...

As the American forces secured control of the capital, Iraqi civilians immediately began looting the palaces, as well as government offices. Before a conglomerate of international press and small crowd (claimed by some to be U.S.-supported Iraqi militia, though contemporary news footage shows the crowd to be unarmed [5] [6]), a 20-foot tall statue of Saddam in Firdus Square was toppled by an American armoured recovery vehicle, and various remnants of the president's personality cult were defaced. Looting (which derives via the Hindi lut from Sanskrit lunt, to rob), sacking, or plundering is the indiscriminate taking of goods by force as part of a military or political victory, or during a catastrophe or riot, such as during war [1], natural disaster [2], rioting [3], or terrorist attack... Saddam Husseins statue being torn down on April 9, 2003. ... Conqueror Armoured Recovery Vehicle 2 An armoured recovery vehicle (ARV) is a type of armoured fighting vehicle used to repair battle-damaged or broken-down armoured vehicles during combat, or to tow them off the battlefield for more extensive repairs. ... Adolf Hitler built a strong cult of personality, based on the Führerprinzip. ...

As the US forces were occupying the Republican Palace and other central landmarks and ministries on April 9, Saddam Hussein had emerged from his command bunker beneath the Al A'Zamiyah district of northern Baghdad, and greeted excited members of the local public. This impromptu walkabout was probably his last and his reasons for doing so are still unclear. It is possible that he wished to take what he thought might be his last opportunity to greet his people as their president. The walkabout was captured on film and broadcast several days after the event on Al-Arabia Television and was also witnessed by ordinary people who corroborated the date afterwards. He was accompanied by bodyguards and other loyal supporters including at least one of his sons and his personal secretary. After the walkabout Hussein returned to his bunker and made preparations for his family. April 9 is the 99th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (100th in leap years). ...

The Americans had meanwhile started receiving rumours that Saddam was in Al A'Zamiyah and at dawn on April 10th, they dispatched three companies of US Marines to capture him. US Marines fought a fierce four-hour battle at a Baghdad mosque where senior Iraqi leaders had been thought to be hold up, as US warplanes attacked areas of the city under the control of Arab fighters. "We had information that a group of regime leadership was attempting to organize...a meeting. The fighting in and around the mosque complex could not be avoided as enemy forces were firing from the area of the mosque." said Captain Frank Thorp. Marines came under fire from rocket-propelled grenades, mortars and Kalishnikov assault rifles. One American Marine was killed and more than 20 were wounded, but Saddam nor any of his aids were found. Non-Iraqi Arab volunteer fighters were in control of several streets in the Aadhamiya district, where the mosque is located, and also in the nearby Waziriya district. Arab fighters were also out in force on the streets of the Mansur district west of the Tigris river, close to the Iraqi intelligence service headquarters. US planes swooped overhead, hitting targets in areas under Arab control. In the northeast of the capital, US marines swept through the Saddam City district in the early hours, blasting forces still loyal to Saddam with heavy artillery, mortar and machine-gun fire. Planes buzzed the area in support of the marine units and soldiers reported seeing Iraqi anti-aircraft fire arching up into the night sky against the noisy but invisible aircraft. The area around Saddam City, home to about two million impoverished Shi'ite Muslims, was the marines' final objective on the eastern flank of the city center. The AK-47 (shortened from Russian: ) is a gas-operated assault rifle that was used in many Eastern bloc nations during the Cold War. ...

By late afternoon on April 12 the last shots were fired in resistance to the Americans in Baghdad. One American soldier was killed on the last day of fighting. The battle for Baghdad was over. April 12 is the 102nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (103rd in leap years). ...

In subsequent days, looting and unrest became a serious issue. Iraqis totally plundered the majority of government and public buildings, to the point of there being nothing of any value left. At the important Yarmuk Hospital, not only all beds, but absolutely all its medical equipment, both large and small, was stolen. One other hospital managed to keep on functioning in a manner by organizing local civilians as armed guards.

At the National Museum of Iraq, which had been a virtual repository of treasures from the ancient Mesopotamian cultures as well as early Islamic culture, many of the 170,000 irreplaceable artifacts were either stolen or broken (partially found safe and well later). On April 14, Iraq's National Library and National Archives were burned down, destroying thousands of manuscripts from civilizations dating back as far as 7,000 years. An American Tank guards the Museum following the 2003 Invasion of Iraq The National Museum of Iraq is located in Baghdad, Iraq. ... This is an article about the ancient middle eastern region. ... Islam (Arabic:  ) is a monotheistic religion based upon the teachings of Muhammad, a 7th century Arab religious and political figure. ... April 14 is the 104th day of the year (105 in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 261 days remaining. ...

The damage to the Iraqi civilian infrastructure, economy and cultural inheritance from looting and arson may have been higher than those from three weeks of US bombing. The bombing had been focused on government targets.

External links

• U.S. Forces Enter the Heart of Baghdad
• US Forces Occupy Palaces - The Guardian
• Washington Post Daybook - Tuesday, April 8 2003; Page A25
• Iraqi museum of antiquities looted; 8000 year old treasures lost forever
• Iraqi Perspectives Report, Joint Center for Operational Analysis at United States Department of Defense, March 2006